Poisoned thorn
by theimortalone
Summary: A single story taking place after the 3rd season. A strange girl starts exhibiting plant like attritues and threatens the city.


Batman beyond: Poisoned thorns  
  
Batman beyond is the property of whoever makes it.  
  
Act 1  
  
The story opens up with an empty and quiet school hallway. But that doesn't last long as the end of class signal goes off. Doors slam open and hundreds of kids flood the hallways. It's the last class of the day and everybody goes to their locker to put things away and leave. Terry leaves a nearby doorway with Dana hanging on his shoulder. He goes over to his locker and opens it up.  
  
"So want to go to a club tonight?" Dana asks.  
  
Terry looks down.  
  
"I wish I could but I really need to check up on Bruce's mansion tonight. As long as he is gone somebody needs to keep on eye on it." Terry responds.  
  
Dana gets an angry look on her face.  
  
"Damn it. He monopolized enough of your time when he was around. Now it's worse when he isn't." Dana says angrily.  
  
Terry turns towards her.  
  
"I'm sorry I'll make it up to you tomorrow, I promise." Terry pleads.  
  
Dana throws her hands up.  
  
"Fine whatever." Dana says then storms off.  
  
Terry sighs then slams his locker shut in frustration.  
  
"No wonder he never ended up with anybody." Terry mutters.  
  
Meanwhile at an elementary school playground a few kids are playing. A young girl is standing. She usually isn't very active. Two boys look at her and motion to each other. They approach her from the back. Suddenly they shove her to the ground and laugh.  
  
"Have a nice trip?" One of the boys asks.  
  
The girl just lies there and doesn't say or do anything.  
  
The bigger boy reaches down and grabs her hair.  
  
"Come on up." The boy says.  
  
But he quickly drops her hair and yells out in pain. He looks down at his hand and it's bloodied.  
  
"Man what happened?" The other boy asks.  
  
"I swear to god. Her hair cut my hand." The big boy responds.  
  
The smaller boy shakes his head.  
  
"You always were a wuss." The boy says.  
  
He reaches down and grabs the hair. Suddenly a thorn impales the back of his hand. The boy screams and holds his hand.  
  
"What the hell?" The smaller boy yells.  
  
The girl stands up and looks down at her hands. Her nails start to grow until they reach the ground and continue through the soil. The girl looks up at the sky and smiles. The two boys start backpedaling away from her.  
  
"She's some kind of a freak. Let's get out of here!" The big boy yells.  
  
But giant roots come out of the ground and entangle the boys.  
  
"Let me go!" The smallest boy cries out.  
  
The root drags the two boys underground and the top layer of soil quickly covers them up. Their screams quickly cut off. The girl's nails return to normal and she leaves the playground. She walks down the street towards home. A couple of thugs appear from an alley and approach her.  
  
"Hey little girl. Want to have some fun?" One guy asks.  
  
The girl ignores him and tries to walk around him. But the thug steps in front of her and stops her.  
  
"Hey didn't your momma teach you that it's not polite to ignore?" The guy asks.  
  
The girl just stands there. Another thug takes out a chain.  
  
"I think she needs to be taught a lesson." The other thug says.  
  
The girl looks up at both thugs with haunting eyes. The chain thug brings it down towards her but she easily grabs and holds it. She throws the chain and the thug over her shoulder as if he was barely heavy at all. The first thug looks shocked.  
  
"What the hell?" He yells.  
  
The girl quickly turns back towards him and grabs him. She lifts him into the air and suddenly her fingers grow into branches. Soon the thug is far up.  
  
"Hey man let me down!" The thug yells.  
  
Meanwhile the chain thug has recovered and goes after her again. She drops the other thug down on him. The two quickly get up.  
  
"I don't know how you did it but you are going to pay!" The thug yells.  
  
Suddenly the street buckles and huge roots come up.  
  
"LEAVE HER ALONE!" A voice screams.  
  
Huge branches wrap around the thugs.  
  
"Let us go!" The thugs yell.  
  
The little girl smiles and reaches down to touch the giant roots. Her whole body glows with energy. Meanwhile Terry is flying overhead on patrol. He looks down and sees the chaos.  
  
"What the hell?" Terry asks.  
  
The branches start to crush the thugs. The sound of ribs cracking is heard.  
  
"Please let us go." The thugs plead.  
  
Suddenly a battarang cuts through the root and Terry lands.  
  
"You heard them." Terry says sternly.  
  
"YOU!" A voice screams.  
  
Before terry can do anything another huge branch wraps itself around him. Terry electrifies the suit and the branch retracts. Terry puts down an electric battarang into the main root. It soon releases the thugs. They immediately take off, stumbling a few times in their haste. The little girl turns towards terry and looks at him with her eerie eyes.  
  
"Are you okay?" Terry asks.  
  
He reaches down for her. She reaches out for him and, unnoticed by him, a small thorn protrudes from her wrist. But before their hands connect a woman's voice pierces the silence.  
  
"Diana?" The voice calls out.  
  
The girl pulls away and the thorn retracts. An attractive raven-haired woman appears from around the corner.  
  
"Diana!" The woman yells.  
  
She doesn't notice Terry who is already in the shadows.  
  
"How many times do I have to tell you to come home straight from school? I was worried." The woman says.  
  
The girl says nothing. The woman picks her up and leaves. Terry's eyes narrow.  
  
"What was that all about?" Terry wonders.  
  
He continues his patrol without any further incident then decides to check on the bat cave and get home before it's too late. As soon as he enters the cave Ace gives him his usual welcome.  
  
"Hey boy." Terry says petting him softly.  
  
Terry sits down in front of the bat computer and logs onto the net, searching for anything strange. One particular news story gets his attention after what he saw earlier.  
  
"Plant scientists are reporting an increase in plant activity in the Gotham and surrounding areas. They have yet to come up with an explanation." Terry reads.  
  
Terry frowns remembering the huge plant root. The next morning the playground is full of kids before the first class. The girl is looking at the piece of ground where the two boys were buried. Suddenly the ground shakes violently. The earth is up heaved and two bodies surface. They are obviously the boys but their bodies are all shriveled up. All the kids except for the girl scream at the site.  
  
Act 2  
  
Terry is eating breakfast and watching TV when a news flash comes on.  
  
"This morning the bodies of two young boys were uncovered in a small earthquake. Police are looking into the situation and questioning all the kids to see who last saw the two boys." The reporter says.  
  
A brief second of footage of the bodies is shown before the police officer blocks the camera. Terry's eyes widen at the sight of what looked like anything but two very young boys. Terry goes to school, the incident last night and this morning news bothering him. Terry heads for his locker and a familiar face is waiting for him.  
  
"Hey Ter. Did you catch that news report?" Max asks.  
  
Terry doesn't answer.  
  
"Earth to Terry." Max says waving her hand in front of his face.  
  
Terry finally snaps out of it.  
  
"Sorry. I was just thinking about something that happened last night." Terry responds.  
  
Terry tells Max about the incident. Max is shocked.  
  
"Do you think that had any connection to these bodies they uncovered?" Max asks.  
  
Terry shakes his head.  
  
"I don't know but I am going to find out." Terry responds.  
  
Lunchtime can't come fast enough for Terry. He quickly eats his lunch and then goes into an unused classroom. He takes out his portable bat device and does some searching. The cause of death of the boys has still not been released. There is no report on what happened last night.  
  
"They were probably to scared to report anything. Police probably wouldn't have believed them anyway." Terry thinks.  
  
He gets an idea and does a search for anything in the bat computer that is plant related. It doesn't take long for the file on someone named Poison ivy comes up.  
  
"Poison ivy." Terry says to himself.  
  
He reads about how she fought for the environment even if it meant hurting and or killing people that she considered an enemy to it. But nothing is said about her being able to control nature itself. Terry skips to the end where the last report is that she disappeared about 20 years ago. A body was never found and she was presumed dead.  
  
Terry puts the device away and returns to the lunchroom. He sees Dana sitting down chatting with her friends and joins her.  
  
"Hey stranger." Dana says with some anger in her voice.  
  
Terry sighs.  
  
"So are you going to make it up to me tonight or are you going to be busy again?" Dana asks.  
  
Terry thinks about what's going on.  
  
"There's nothing I can really do until the girl shows up again. I might as well have some fun." Terry thinks.  
  
Terry smiles.  
  
"The only thing I will be busy doing is spending time with you." Terry says kissing Dana's hand.  
  
Dana's face seems to soften up and she smiles. Meanwhile at the elementary school the girl is standing in the hallway. The janitor shows up and looks at her.  
  
"Hey there. Aren't you supposed to be in class?" The janitor asks.  
  
The little girl looks up at him.  
  
"Do you need help?" The janitor asks.  
  
The janitor reaches out with his hand. The little girl takes it. The janitor smiles and starts walking her down the hallway. Suddenly something pierces his hand and runs up his arm. The janitor yells when he sees it. He tries to let go but finds himself attached to the girl's hand. The janitor's skin starts to age and being dry. His face becomes shallow. He falls to the floor, his eyes staring at the ceiling lifeless. The girl smiles and continues down the hallway.  
  
That evening Terry is getting ready for his date when another news flash comes on.  
  
"Another mysterious death was discovered today. The janitor of gotham elementary was found dead." The reporter says.  
  
Terry looks as the body is carried in a stretcher, the sheet pulled over it. Something snags the sheet and pulls it back just enough to show the face. Terry gasps at the shallow dried out face. He quickly races out of the house and puts his bat suit on. Meanwhile Dana is waiting impatiently outside the club. She looks at her watch and gets a mad look on her face.  
  
The little girl walks around the corner and approaches Dana.  
  
"Damn that Terry." Dana says angrily.  
  
Dana looks down and sees the little girl.  
  
"Hey what are you doing around here? This isn't a place for little girls." Dana says bending down.  
  
The girl just looks at her.  
  
"Are you lost?" Dana asks.  
  
But the girl doesn't respond. Dana frowns and looks at her watch.  
  
"I'll help you find your mommy or daddy." Dana says.  
  
She reaches her hand out. The girl takes it and suddenly a thorn pops out and pierces Dana's hand. She throws it back in pain. Her vision becomes blurry and she faints. The girl smiles and walks back the other way.  
  
Act 3  
  
Terry if flying overhead and sees Dana on the ground.  
  
"Dana!" Terry yells.  
  
He lands and picks her body up. He quickly flies her to the nearest hospital. He takes the suit off before entering. Almost immediately she is checked in.  
  
"I'm getting a weak pulse and shallow breathing." The doctor says.  
  
He sees a puncture wound and swelling.  
  
"I think we may have a poison victim!" The doctor yells.  
  
Everything else is muffled as the whole world swims in front of Terry's eyes. He almost feels like fainting himself but he fights to keep himself strong for Dana's sake. He rushes to her side.  
  
"Is she going to be okay?" Terry asks.  
  
A nurse stops him.  
  
"Just stay in the lobby. We will let you know as soon as we know anything." The nurse says.  
  
Terry fights it at first but then gives up and sits down. A half an hour later the doctor finally comes back out. Terry looks up, his eyes red from crying.  
  
"Is she okay?" Terry asks.  
  
The doctor shakes his head.  
  
"She has been poisoned with some strange venom. I've never seen anything like it before." The doctor says.  
  
Terry puts his head in his hands.  
  
"Give it to me straight. What can you do?" Terry asks.  
  
The doctor sighs.  
  
"Unless we can find an antidote, and that's unlikely since this is an unidentified toxin, she will probably die." The doctor says.  
  
"No." Terry says.  
  
He sweeps aside all vid-books in anger.  
  
"NO!" Terry screams.  
  
Terry punches the wall.  
  
"This is all my fault. If only I had shown up for our date." Terry says.  
  
Terry turns towards the exit. He suddenly has a flash of recognition when he sees the girl. He races outside and sees the girl running down the street.  
  
"Wait!" Terry yells.  
  
He chases her into a park. The girl stops and faces him.  
  
"You did this to her didn't you?" Terry asks.  
  
Suddenly huge roots appear under Terry and throw him up into the air. Terry lands hard and groans. The girl's nails grow again and burrow down into the earth. Terry looks at them and realizes what they are.  
  
"Roots? But how?" Terry wonders.  
  
"Diana!" A voice yells.  
  
The mother rushes into site. But huge roots block her way.  
  
"LEAVE HER ALONE!" A loud voice screams.  
  
The mother tries to get around the root.  
  
"Diana!" The mother yells.  
  
Suddenly one of the trees changes and takes the form of a woman.  
  
"Who are you?" The mother asks.  
  
A bunch of branches wrap around Terry and the mother, holding them tight.  
  
"You mean you've forgotten me already?" The figure asks.  
  
The mother shakes her head.  
  
The branch brings the mother over closer to the woman figure.  
  
"How could you forget your own mother? The one that took care of you and made sure nothing bad would happen to you?" The figure asks.  
  
The mother frowns.  
  
"It..it can't be." The mother says.  
  
Terry gasps as the ground up heaves and a large clump of earth takes shape. He narrows his eyes when he recognizes the person.  
  
"Poison ivy?" Terry asks.  
  
The branch squeezes him harder making him cry out in pain.  
  
"Poison ivy died 20 years ago." The figure says.  
  
"I rejected what you believed in then and I still reject it now." The mother says.  
  
"I raised you. I took you in when you were near death. Without me you wouldn't be alive today." The figure says.  
  
"You abandoned me when I refused to go along with your insane plan." The mother says.  
  
The girl starts to sink into the earth.  
  
"No leave my daughter alone!" The mother yells.  
  
"She's mine. You may have rejected my believes but she embraces them." The figure says.  
  
The daughter is completely buried into the earth.  
  
"NO!" The mother yells.  
  
"When you scorned me. When you rejected what I would do, I implanted a seed in your womb. A seed that would one day implant into a child. And that child would join me." The figure says.  
  
Another mound appears and forms a smaller figure.  
  
"Diana!" The mother yells in recognition.  
  
"She will be fine. She will be immortal with me and nature always." The figure says.  
  
"Why did you do all this? Why did you leave me?" The mother cries out.  
  
"20 years ago I found out that very same chemical that made me immune to poison was slowly killing me." The figure says.  
  
The figure chuckles.  
  
"My life was to be as brief as a rose. But I would not accept death. So I found a way to live forever, as part of nature." The figure says.  
  
The mother gasps as flower start blooming and the wind gently blows across the mother's face as if to caress it.  
  
"I'm sorry that I had to leave you my daughter." The figure says.  
  
The two figures start to disappear.  
  
"Wait what about my daughter?" The mother asks.  
  
For the first time in a long time the girl speaks.  
  
"Don't worry mommy. I will always be with you. Wherever there is nature." The girl says.  
  
The branches release both Terry and the mother. Terry is startled by a small piece of flower.  
  
"I'm sorry that I poisoned her. I was confused. Take this flower and extract it's substance and she will be fine." The girl says.  
  
Terry takes the flower and rushes to the hospital. He gives the flower to the doctor who quickly determines it is the antidote. Dana quickly recovers and is released a day later. Terry and her finally have that date.  
  
"Lets do something different for once. How bout a nice commune in the park." Terry says.  
  
Dana seems surprised but goes along with it. They both sit down under a large tree and enjoy the shade. Near the top of the tree two faces stare down and smile at the couple. 


End file.
